5.  The applicant was born in 1963 and lives in the village of Savvino in the Moscow Region.
6.  On 26 December 2000 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery, extortion and abuse of position. He was remanded in custody three days later.
7.  On 23 January 2002 the Kuzminskiy District Court of Moscow found the applicant guilty of aggravated robbery and abuse of position, acquitted him of the remainder of the charges and sentenced him to eleven years' imprisonment. The judgment became final on 23 April 2002 when the Moscow City Court upheld it on appeal.
8.  On 6 November 2003 the Presidium of the Moscow City Court, acting on a request from the applicant in supervisory review proceedings, amended the judgments of 23 January and 23 April 2002, reducing the sentence to six years' imprisonment. The applicant was released on parole on 25 March 2005.
9.  From 29 December 2000 to 28 June 2002 the applicant was detained in facilities nos. IZ-77/1 and IZ-77/3 in Moscow.
10.  According to certificates issued on 21 December 2005 by the acting director of the facility and produced by the Government, the applicant was kept in cell no. 402, which measured 23.4 square metres. According to the Government, the information on the number of inmates in the cell was not available as the documents had been destroyed. At the same time the Government noted that warders working in the facility while the applicant was detained there had stated that the applicant had shared the cell with five or six other detainees. The Government, relying on the certificates of 21 December 2005, further submitted that the applicant had had an individual bunk and bedding at all times.
11.  The applicant did not dispute the cell measurements. However, he alleged that the cell had had twelve bunks and had accommodated 25 inmates. Given the lack of beds, inmates had slept in shifts.
(b)  Sanitary conditions, installations and food
12.  The Government, relying on the information provided by the acting director of the facility, submitted that the cell received natural light and ventilation through the two windows, which were glazed and measured 0.75 metres in width and 1.1 metres in height. The facility authorities inspected the cell on a daily basis. The Government further argued that the temperature in the cell was maintained at normal levels. The cell was equipped with lamps which functioned day and night. The cell was disinfected once a week. It was equipped with a lavatory pan, a sink and a tap for running water. The pan was separated from the living area by a one‑metre‑high brick wall. Inmates were allowed to take a shower once a week. The Government, relying on the information provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, further stated that the applicant was provided with food three times a day “in accordance with the established norms”. Medical personnel at the facility checked the quality of the food three times a day and made entries in registration logs. The Government submitted copies of the registration logs for certain months in 2001 and 2002. According to the Government, detainees had made no complaints about the quality of the food.
13.  The applicant disagreed with the Government's description and submitted that the sanitary conditions had been unsatisfactory. There were rats in the cell, which was only dimly lit. The windows were not glazed and the food was of extremely poor quality and in scarce supply.
(c)  Medical assistance
14.  On his admission to the detention facility the applicant was examined by a doctor, who noted that the applicant was healthy. On 31 January 2001 the applicant complained to the prison doctor of muscle pain. The doctor diagnosed myositis and prescribed treatment. From 22 to 24 May 2001 the applicant was treated for a common cold, a mild viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system. On 26 October 2001 the applicant complained of back pain and was diagnosed with disseminated pyoderma, a bacterial skin infection. He was transferred to the genito‑urinary dermatology department of the facility hospital, where he stayed until 15 November 2001. The Government gave a detailed description of the treatment administered to the applicant, including the type of medicine, dose and frequency. They also furnished a copy of the applicant's medical record and medical certificates.
15.  The applicant argued that the appalling conditions of his detention had resulted in a serious deterioration of his health. He had contracted several skin and infectious diseases and had not been adequately treated.
16.  On 28 January 2002 the applicant was transferred to facility no. IZ‑77/3 and placed in cell no. 524, measuring 32.74 square metres. The Government, relying on a certificate issued by the director of the facility on 20 December 2005, argued that the cell housed seven or eight inmates. However, it is clear from the certificate that the applicant was detained together with at least seven or eight other inmates. The Government also included certificates issued in 2004 indicating that the documents showing the number of inmates had been destroyed.
17.  The Government further provided a description of the conditions of the applicant's detention in facility no. IZ-77/3 which was similar to the description of conditions in facility IZ-77/1 except for two aspects: (i) the cell windows measured 0.89 metres in width and 0.94 metres in height and (ii) the applicant did not request medical assistance in facility no. IZ-77/3.
18.  The applicant submitted that cell no. 524 had accommodated 38 inmates. He further described the conditions of his detention in facility no. IZ-77/3 as “identical” to those in facility no. IZ-77/1, with one difference: the authorities in facility no. IZ-77/3 had been “respectful and kind”.
19.  According to the applicant, he had complained to various domestic authorities about the appalling conditions of his detention. He had received no response.
20.  The Government submitted that the applicant had not complained to a prosecutor or to a higher-ranking official of the Federal Service for the Execution of Sentences.